Horror currently reigns on TV, but not all shows have equal scare value -- and, of course, we're not all scared by the same things. In celebration of all things fearful this Halloween, we're ranking a select number of shows on a scale of "child's play," which is mild gore and frights mixed in with wry humor, to "horror masters" -- aka, the kind of episodes with the potential to mess with your head. In the case of "American Horror Story: Freak Show" ... well, we think you get the picture.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Horror currently reigns on TV, but not all shows have equal scare value -- and, of course, we're not all scared by the same things. In celebration of all things fearful this Halloween, we're ranking a select number of shows on a scale of "child's play," which is mild gore and frights mixed in with wry humor, to "horror masters" -- aka, the kind of episodes with the potential to mess with your head. In the case of "American Horror Story: Freak Show" ... well, we think you get the picture.
FX
Loosely pitched as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic "Psycho," A&E smartly avoided trying to compete with the fright master. Instead, its well-crafted "Bates Motel" aims to strike right at the center of your "this is creepy" sensor, building just enough underlying tension and suspense without truly freaking anyone out.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Loosely pitched as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic "Psycho," A&E smartly avoided trying to compete with the fright master. Instead, its well-crafted "Bates Motel" aims to strike right at the center of your "this is creepy" sensor, building just enough underlying tension and suspense without truly freaking anyone out.
A&E
Just as the Brothers Grimm originally intended, NBC's supernatural fairy tale series sees our childhood stories turned into the stuff of nightmares. That said, no episode is going to be so nefarious that it'll linger past its run time.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Just as the Brothers Grimm originally intended, NBC's supernatural fairy tale series sees our childhood stories turned into the stuff of nightmares. That said, no episode is going to be so nefarious that it'll linger past its run time.
NBC
Bryan Fuller has managed to make the act of cannibalism one gorgeous story to watch. With Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter (before he starts chatting up Jodie Foster behind bars), "Hannibal" is a psychological thriller that pulls zero punches and makes no apologies for its reverent use of gore.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Bryan Fuller has managed to make the act of cannibalism one gorgeous story to watch. With Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter (before he starts chatting up Jodie Foster behind bars), "Hannibal" is a psychological thriller that pulls zero punches and makes no apologies for its reverent use of gore.
NBC
This original series from Netflix began as a murder mystery with supernatural elements, and it's now popularly known as one of the best places to see an insane werewolf transformation.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
This original series from Netflix began as a murder mystery with supernatural elements, and it's now popularly known as one of the best places to see an insane werewolf transformation.
Netflix
A spinoff of "The Vampire Diaries," "The Originals" includes all of "TVD's" gory drama, but it's kicked up a notch because we're dealing with more powerful and harder-to-kill "original" vampires. The root of this series, just like on "TVD," is relationships, and there's plenty of melodrama alongside the gore.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
A spinoff of "The Vampire Diaries," "The Originals" includes all of "TVD's" gory drama, but it's kicked up a notch because we're dealing with more powerful and harder-to-kill "original" vampires. The root of this series, just like on "TVD," is relationships, and there's plenty of melodrama alongside the gore.
The CW
As with some other shows on this list, Showtime's "Penny Dreadful" has some star talent both behind the concept and in front of the camera. This beautifully made series about supernatural elements in Victorian London knows just how to set our teeth on edge. The safe word for this series should be "intense."
Ranking TV's horror shows —
As with some other shows on this list, Showtime's "Penny Dreadful" has some star talent both behind the concept and in front of the camera. This beautifully made series about supernatural elements in Victorian London knows just how to set our teeth on edge. The safe word for this series should be "intense."
Showtime
Despite being on ABC Family, this isn't exactly a family show. The series involves a psychotic villain called "A" who enjoys stalking and terrorizing high school students. There have been bodies strung up in churches, people have been buried alive, and the bones and teeth of the dead are dug up for wicked pranks.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Despite being on ABC Family, this isn't exactly a family show. The series involves a psychotic villain called "A" who enjoys stalking and terrorizing high school students. There have been bodies strung up in churches, people have been buried alive, and the bones and teeth of the dead are dug up for wicked pranks.
ABC Family
A spin on the story of Ichabod Crane, this is the show to watch if you want some creative and cool-looking monsters. Leads Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie have wonderful chemistry and comedic timing, meaning you're more likely to end an episode with a smile than lingering chills.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
A spin on the story of Ichabod Crane, this is the show to watch if you want some creative and cool-looking monsters. Leads Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie have wonderful chemistry and comedic timing, meaning you're more likely to end an episode with a smile than lingering chills.
Fox
Combine the minds of Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse and you have a new vampire show that delivered on its sinister promise. There's gore, yes, but mostly "The Strain" crawls into your subconscious with the suspense of a rapidly spreading, absolutely gross form of vampirism.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Combine the minds of Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse and you have a new vampire show that delivered on its sinister promise. There's gore, yes, but mostly "The Strain" crawls into your subconscious with the suspense of a rapidly spreading, absolutely gross form of vampirism.
FX
In its earlier seasons, "Supernatural" had some genuine scares. (Looking at you -- or rather, trying to forget you -- "Bloody Mary.") But as likely is the case with any series that lasts 10 seasons, the fear factor slips after a while.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
In its earlier seasons, "Supernatural" had some genuine scares. (Looking at you -- or rather, trying to forget you -- "Bloody Mary.") But as likely is the case with any series that lasts 10 seasons, the fear factor slips after a while.
The CW
Don't be fooled by the fact that this series is a) on MTV and b) rips its title from a 1985 Michael J. Fox movie. One of "Teen Wolf's" best-kept secrets is that it's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fvf-hollywood%2Fteen-wolf-premiere-watch" target="_blank" target="_blank">"genuinely scary."</a>
Ranking TV's horror shows —
Don't be fooled by the fact that this series is a) on MTV and b) rips its title from a 1985 Michael J. Fox movie. One of "Teen Wolf's" best-kept secrets is that it's "genuinely scary."
MTV
AMC's monster hit isn't "scary" as much as it can be really, really tough to watch. In addition to the usual gore and spooky zombie scenes, the show also excels at creating tense, stomach-knotting situations.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
AMC's monster hit isn't "scary" as much as it can be really, really tough to watch. In addition to the usual gore and spooky zombie scenes, the show also excels at creating tense, stomach-knotting situations.
AMC
When this series began in 2009, it was the antidote to the sparkly vampire fever that was sweeping the land. The early seasons had great moments of tension and jump scares. These days, between the neck-snapping, staking and hearts being ripped from chests, "The Vampire Diaries" is more of a bloody good time.
Ranking TV's horror shows —
When this series began in 2009, it was the antidote to the sparkly vampire fever that was sweeping the land. The early seasons had great moments of tension and jump scares. These days, between the neck-snapping, staking and hearts being ripped from chests, "The Vampire Diaries" is more of a bloody good time.
The CW